by Trisha Wolfe
“Destiny, come back to bed,” Mom said. “We have plenty of time to figure this out.”
I ignored her as I stared into the mirror and concentrated. During the change, our bodies shifted by themselves, revealing to us how it was done. I’d obviously missed that part. But I was a shifter. I had to be able to do it at will.
I concentrated harder, willing my form to change. My eyes glowed, my body shook. Before my eyes, I watched as my ears pointed, becoming longer. My skin paled to a rich porcelain color, like something off an Egyptian wall painting. I parted my mouth, feeling my two top eyeteeth press into my bottom lip. “Cool.” I was actually pretty sexy, though I still looked like death.
Mom stood beside me. “Can you feel which power wants to come forth?”
I lifted my arms, stretching my hands out, palms up. Something crackled, and a bright current zipped across my fingertips. My spirit soared.
But before my elation was complete, a white flame burst from the center of my palms—lightning white, with currents firing in a swirling vortex around the flame. I panicked. Shaking my hands, I tried to douse the power, but froze when I saw my reflection. Fierce glowing eyes stared back at me. Blazing white.
Chapter Eight
MONDAY MORNING, I LAY on the couch. Mom brought me soup and beverages, attempting to nurse me back to full strength. Every time she sat near me, I averted my eyes from hers.
During my first—and only—shift, I’d panicked. I’d reached out and grabbed onto her wrist and burned it. The guilt gnawed at my stomach, making it hard to eat. I didn’t remember doing it. And that scared me almost more than the power itself.
There was no way I could go to the Academy, now. We both knew it. So I lay there, staring at the ceiling, wallowing in my guilt and self-pity. What was worse, I had to avoid Jace.
I could keep Lana and Nick in the dark about my power—they wouldn’t press me the way Jace would. I had to find a way to get out of my promise to spar with him. I lifted my arm, watching the light twinkle off the blue gem of my bracelet. My chest ached, hollow and burning.
Mom entered the living room, carrying a laundry bag. “I’m taking the laundry down to the cleaners,” she said. “I grabbed everything from your room already, so just lay there and rest.” She smiled. “I’m going to grab my clothes.”
“Okay,” I said, still not looking at her as she set the bag near the front door and headed upstairs.
The worst was yet to come. Mom was preparing to run—I knew this. Whatever that power was, it had scared her. I couldn’t get that frightening image of glowing white arms and eyes out of my mind. I buried my head under my pillow. It was only a matter of time before she announced we were going on the lam.
Maybe while Mom was at the cleaners I could…wait. Something came back to me. My clothes. Reese had stuck something in my pocket. Or had he? Had I hallucinated? That evening was still a blur. I thought I’d imagined him bringing me home. But I had to make sure.
I heard Mom shuffling around upstairs. I sat up, willing my body to stop nagging me. Finding my laundry bag in the foyer, I untied the string and rummaged through the clothes, pulling out my leather breeches. My insides fluttered as I drew a folded piece of paper from the back pocket. Opening it, I saw a string of numbers—his communicator number.
I fought the fog in my head, trying to remember. He needed to tell me something. Then heat crept to my cheeks as I recalled the feel of Reese’s lips. I lightly pressed my fingers to my forehead. Maybe that part I had imagined. Mom’s bedroom door shut upstairs, and I quickly tucked my pants back into the bag and scurried toward the couch.
“All right, I’m leaving.” She walked over and kissed the top of my head. “I’ll be back in a couple of hours. Just rest, okay?”
I nodded. “Okay.”
As soon as she closed the door behind her, I bounded up the stairs to my room and grabbed my communicator. My stomach sank as I scrolled over messages from Lana and Jace. They were so worried about me, and I hadn’t contacted them once. I felt too horrible to even type out a quick message to let them know I was all right. I just couldn’t yet. I wasn’t all right.
I pressed the first number into the communicator, then halted, my thumb hovering over the second key. Could I trust him? Sure, he’d revealed his eyes to me, but what did that mean? Was he like me? And if so, how? Why would he reveal himself to me? Too many questions, but at this point, I decided things couldn’t get much worse for me. I needed answers, and he might have them. I entered the rest of the numbers.
I didn’t know what to say, so I sent a simple message: Hi. Dez. What else could I say? There wasn’t enough room on the analog screen to ask all the questions swimming in my head.
Falling back on my bed, I waited. Finally, my communicator vibrated, and I read the message: The falls. Meet now?
I bit down on my lip. Mom was out for a couple of hours, but could I meet Reese and make it back before her? There was a trace feature on our communicators, and I didn’t want her walking into an empty house, freaking out, and tracking me down—to find me with a Narco. I could leave my communicator here…No. I needed a way to contact someone if things went bad. I scrunched my eyebrows, thinking. I had to chance it. Reese could have information that might help me. I typed back: Yes. See you soon.
Thankfully, I’d already bathed. I only had to change out of my pajamas and run a brush through my hair. Honestly, I wasn’t too concerned with my appearance. I felt I looked pretty damn good considering all I’d been through.
I pushed the communicator into my pocket and turned to go, but thought better. Walking to my bed, I lifted the mattress, grabbed my Charge Dagger, and sheathed it beneath my pant leg. Reese might claim a lot of things, but I just didn’t know if I could trust him.
I rode the steam trolley to Daven Street. The waterfalls Haven was named after were only half a mile from the trolley stop. I walked along the sidewalk, veering toward the path leading into the woods before reaching the dead end. Climbing the hill, I walked hurriedly, occasionally glancing over my shoulder.
As I reached the first fall, I scanned the gated area. Surrounded by large boulders, the waterfall stood about eight feet high and cascaded over sharp rocks jutting from beneath a wide shower of clear, blue water. The whooshing of the falling river was peaceful, echoing against the tall pines.
Gripping the iron railing, I glanced around. The place was vacant. Reese couldn’t have picked a more secluded spot. I walked around the gate, and headed deeper into the woods. There was another fall, a higher one, that wasn’t marked off as an attraction. I was sure I’d find Reese there.
I maneuvered over rocks and the beveled landscape. After a few minutes the fall came into view. It was beautiful—a fifteen foot high waterfall, flowing from the river above in a single stream. It splashed into a large pool that rolled into a smaller river.
Reese sat on a boulder near the bank.
He looked up, a smile sliding across his face. “Hey, nice ink. How are you feeling?”
I skimmed my fingers over my tatt and continued walking toward him. “Like I’ve been thrown from an airship and trampled on by a million steel-toed boots.”
He nodded once. “It’ll pass. Believe it or not, our change isn’t as bad as most.” He moved to the ground and patted the spot next to him.
I hesitantly sat and studied his hands—his face—trying to get a read on him. “You’re not going to toss me into the river and try to drown me, are you?” Then I squinted at him. “Our change? What does that mean?”
“Come on, Dez.” He laughed. “I’m not going to attack you. I told you I was sorry. I thought you were attacking me that night. I’ve been raised Narco. It’s kind of bred into me.” He shrugged, enlarging his eyes innocently. “And, I know you know what I am. I knew what you were the first time I looked into those really bad eye lenses.” He cocked his head. “By the way, that color’s a little off, and you might want to check them for tears every now and then.” He smirked.
&nb
sp; I brought my hand to my eye, tracing my lid. “How can you tell when no one else can?” I thought of Jace the night I’d lost my lens. He’d been staring into my eyes, and if he’d noticed, he would’ve definitely said something.
Reese lowered his voice an octave. “I know what to look for,” he said. Then he peered out over the small pond. “Anyway, we’re mixed breeds. Twenty years ago, the Shythe signed the Treaty Act with one clause—the Narcolym would help repopulate their race. They agreed to an experiment. One they hoped would permanently put an end to the warring and add numbers at the same time.” He glanced at me. “Sound familiar?”
I nodded absently. I knew the story, but after he admitted to being one of the kids from the experiment, I could only focus on that fact. “You’re like me. But…”
Reese plucked a piece of grass and twirled it between his fingers. “But you thought you were the only one.” The blade of grass began to smoke. He dropped it to the ground.
“Yes.” I bowed my head, thinking. “So how did you get away?”
“My mom. She’s Narcolym. She faked a miscarriage and hid my identity. Kind of like you, but with better eye lenses.” He winked. “Then I went through the change.” Reese picked up a rock and chucked it at the pond, skipping it across the surface. “That was a month ago. When I was chosen for the Peace Act mission, she went ballistic. I had to work really hard at disguising my power.”
I stared at him, wide-eyed. “You can disguise it…but what is your power? I saw you change your eyes, but your hands, they glow red.”
He gave me a brilliant smile. “Have you tested yours yet?”
It was all too much. Here I was, sitting next to someone like me…possibly. Did he have the same White Flame? I didn’t know how much I should reveal. “Yes. I’ve tried.” I averted my eyes.
“And what happened?”
I shook my head. “You first. What’s your power?”
Reese laughed. “Oh? Wanna play ‘I’ll show you mine if you show me yours’?” He chuckled. “You don’t trust me.” He bowed his head and picked at the grass.
“Of course I don’t,” I said, feeling my Charge Dagger pressed against my ankle. “You come here for reasons I’m still not clear on. You jack me against a wall, and then you tell me you knew I was like you.” I shook my head. “And you have this information about me that I’ve tried to keep hidden my whole life. How am I supposed to feel?” I glared at him. “How do I really know if that eye thing wasn’t just a clever trick?”
“Fair enough.” Reese grunted as he jumped to his feet. He brushed the grass and pine straw from his clothes, and shook out his hands. “Tell me if this looks familiar.” He stretched out his arms, palms up. A red glow emanated from the tips of his fingers, spreading upward. Then small flames burst in the center of his hands. He brought his hands in front of him, aiming toward the pond, and released a ball of fire, sending it straight into the water.
“Yes, it looks familiar. You—”
“Wait for it.” He clapped his hands together, dousing the Flame. A blue glow slowly crept up his arms. My eyes widened as his eyes shifted from red to blue. Turning his hands up, Charge crackled into the air, and blue currents traveled between his palms.
Before I could say a word, he began shifting. His features changed to the hot Kythan form I’d seen at the club. My face heated. Then he closed and opened his hands, stretching his fingers apart. A white flame erupted in the center of the Charge. His eyes shone with the same radiant white I’d seen in the mirror. Reese smiled, lifting his glowing white hands above his head. The flame stretched far into the air, transforming into a beam of light. Drawing the light back into himself, Reese’s arms returned to normal. But his eyes glowed a fierce violet.
“What’s going on?” I asked, my voice shaky.
Reese took three quick strides and squatted next to me. “Dez, it’s okay.” He reached out and stroked a loose strand of hair behind my ear. “You have to be in Kythan form—your most powerful—in order to use the White Flame. So you don’t have to worry about that for now. It won’t accidentally happen if you’re in human form. I know you’re scared. I was too when I first used it. But our power can be controlled.” His lips twitched into a smile. “We don’t have to hide under a rock.”
I stared into his violet eyes—my eyes. Suddenly all the dread and fear, and the years of not knowing what would happen, hit me all at once.
“But if the Councils ever found out…” I bit down on my lip, pausing to collect my thoughts. “I don’t understand. Why would they destroy the others? You and I survived. There’s nothing wrong with us. Well, wrong as in defective. But why would they kill the others from the experiment?”
Reese blew out a heavy breath. “Fear? Look at what we can do. We’re far more powerful having control over both powers. Not only that, we can combine them.” He pressed his palm to my cheek. “And the Councils won’t find out. I can help you.” He ran his thumb just below my bottom lip, his eyes piercing mine. “I want to help you.”
“Why? You were raised Narcolym. How can I trust you won’t hand me over to them?”
Reese’s eyebrows furrowed into a pained expression. “Because of this,” he whispered. Then he took my face between both hands and pressed his lips to mine.
Chapter Nine
FOR A MOMENT, I couldn’t think—couldn’t breathe. Reese’s lips caressed mine, stealing my breath. Then I folded into the kiss, wrapping my arms around his neck. His hands gently cupped my face as his lips parted over mine, demanding more. He buried his hand into my hair, and I shivered as sparks rippled across my skin. He pulled back, his eyes scanning my face, and then pressed another light, tender kiss to my lips.
“From the moment I looked into your eyes, I’ve wanted to do that,” he said, and smiled.
“Could’ve fooled me.” I laughed breathlessly. “I thought you either wanted to kill me or feel me up.”
“Well…” He chuckled. “Both at first. All right, then from the moment you punched me, I wanted to do that.” He cocked his head. “Like I said, when you’re angry, you’re hot.”
I batted his arm and fell back onto my palms. “This is all so surreal. I’ve feared the change my whole life. Now you come along and tell me I can control my shifts. Not only that, but I have both powers and can hide Flame.” I shook my head. “You have to teach me now.”
Reese’s eyes traced my face. “It takes a bit longer than an afternoon. At least a few weeks.” His mouth tugged into a frown. “What about your friends? Have you told them?”
My eyebrows shot up. “Are you serious? Jace for one, no offense, hates the Narcos. I could never tell him my father was one. And Lana and Nick, I love them. I couldn’t endanger them with this kind of information.”
“Hmm…” He leaned back onto his hands, mirroring my position. “They could be a problem.”
“How? Hiding it from them?”
“Yeah. What about your fight club?” he said, arching a brow.
“How do you know—” I bit my lip. “You saw us. It was you in the woods that day.”
He nodded. “Sorry. But I had to make sure you were who I thought you were.”
“And you followed me to my house, that’s how you knew where I lived.” I closed my eyes for a moment. “I don’t know if I should feel flattered, elated that you exist, or creeped out.”
“All of the above?” Reese smiled, and then his expression turned solemn. “Seriously, Dez. You have to find a way to get out of those matches. At least until you learn to use Charge. Jace seems like a real hothead. I don’t want him blowing your—our cover because he’s pro Shythe.”
He was right. If Jace found out…No. I couldn’t believe that. Jace would never do anything to hurt me. But his father was on the Council. Jace may not intend to endanger me, but because of his confusion, he might expose me out of fear. Or worse, hate. I didn’t want to think about what might happen. I couldn’t.
Then an idea came to me. “They’re about to go through the
change in a few days.”
“That’s perfect.” He sat forward. “They might even be out of it for a week or so. By then, we’ll be at the Academy. I hope Jace isn’t going to try and get away with sparring there. Because that would be stupid.”
“Yeah. You don’t know Jace. He has a lot of conviction in his beliefs.”
“And what are those?”
I shrugged. “He thinks the Narcos are here to—” I stopped. Reese was still technically one of them.
“Dez,” he said, taking my hand. “You have to trust me. I may’ve been raised by them, but I’m like you. A mixed breed.” He pressed his lips to my palm and peeked up at me. “And besides, how could I betray a girl that looks so damn hot in a mini-bustle and thigh-high boots?”
My face flushed. “Diversion tactic,” I said under my breath.
“What?”
I huffed. “That’s not my normal attire.” I straightened up, lacing my fingers through his. “Jace thinks the Narcos are here to find a way to harness Shythe Charge for themselves. He believes we have to train to protect ourselves from an attack.”
Reese quirked an eyebrow. “Wow, and here I thought that paranoid tough-guy persona was just an act to get girls.”
“Reese…”
He smiled. “Say that again.”
“What?”
“My name.” He leaned forward and traced his finger across my jawline. “You’ve never said it before. Sounds sexy when you do.”
My insides flipped. Now I understood how he got underneath my skin. “So,” I said, switching the topic back. “You’re saying that the Narcos really are here to try to live in harmony?”
“As far as I know. I was only told that the Shythe were struggling in their haven, and that part of the Treaty Act stated the races had to help one another.”
“I’ve lived in Haven my whole life, and no one has ever talked about the Narcos in any other way than with fear and revulsion. How is it I know nothing of the details of the Treaty Act?”
